OMEGA, the Swiss luxury watchmaker, has extended its significant title partnership agreement with the Dubai Desert Classic and the Dubai Ladies Masters for a further period of three years through to 2017, ‘golf in DUBAi,’ the promoters and organisers of the two premier golf events in the region, have announced.

Best known in the sports marketing world for its role as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, OMEGA has long supported the growth of golf as a global game, characterised by its title and tour sponsorships on both sides of the Atlantic as well as by its great golfing brand ambassadors.

The renewal of what has proven to be a successful partnership with ‘golf in DUBAi’ over the years further reinforces OMEGA’s commitment to the development of the sport in the region, which stands as a testament to the growing global popularity of golf and golf tourism.

The signing of the fresh deal, incidentally, comes on the back of a landmark moment in the history of the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic, which celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year by lining up a top-class field, spearheaded by world number one Tiger Woods, European number one Henrik Stenson and OMEGA brand ambassador Rory McIlroy among other past champions.

It was Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher, recently named as a golf in DUBAi ambassador who created history, becoming the first player to successfully defend the ‘Classic’ title.

“We are delighted to be continuing our association with the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic and the OMEGA Dubai Ladies Masters, both world-class events which have played a key role in positioning the city as a major golfing destination,” said Raynald Aeschlimann, OMEGA’s Vice President and International Sales Director.

“Golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the Middle East, where the number of courses and the number of rounds played each year have gone up exponentially,” Mr Aeschlimann pointed out.

“The fact that the UAE recorded an all-time high of 54,365 rounds played in a single month in March 2012 demonstrates that golf in the country is truly on a growth trajectory.

This partnership with ‘golf in DUBAi’ provides us with a fantastic platform to develop our brand in the booming market and show the world we are a leading player in this sport,” he said.

“The exposure we get from these two events as title sponsor is very important. You cannot measure this experience in terms of money, but there’s a very good response to all that we’ve done in this dynamic region,” he added.

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, said: “OMEGA’S trust in our tournaments is an honour. The brand has been an invaluable partner over the years and we are extremely pleased to be able to count on its continued support for the coming years.

Our association with OMEGA is deep rooted, one which goes back many years now, and the journey, to say the least, has been quite fruitful. OMEGA first came on board as a partner and official timekeeper and now the partnership has grown to a whole new level something which is a substantial upside for both organizations. We are looking forward to another three years of unforgettable sporting moments,” he added.

The first company to be entrusted with the official timekeeping of all disciplines at the Los Angeles Games in 1932, OMEGA’S name has become synonymous with the Olympic Games. Its association with golf is equally well acclaimed.

Founded in 1848, twelve years before the first-ever British Open took place at Prestwick golf course near Glasgow, OMEGA’S rich golf portfolio includes tour and tournament sponsorship in Europe and Asia in addition to supporting the PGA’s tournaments, including the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup when it is contested in the United States.

It has endorsement deals with a roster of professional golfers, including Greg Norman, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Stacy Lewis, Michelle Wie and Shanshan Feng, the winner of the 2012 OMEGA Dubai Ladies Masters, among other major athletes.

With OMEGA enjoying a long-standing history in sport, both with the Olympics and in golf, exciting times lie ahead for fans who can look forward to having top players from around the world play golf in the beautiful city of Dubai.

‘golf in DUBAi’ is backed by OMEGA as the title sponsor and Dubal (Dubai Aluminium) as sponsor. The co-sponsors are: CNN, Drydocks World & Maritime World, Emirates NBD, Gulf News, Mercedes-Benz and wasl, while Dubai Duty Free, Carpetland and Motivate are the Patrons in golf in DUBAi’s drive to showcase the emirate’s vibrant golfing scene to a worldwide audience.